Innocent man dies after drinking pure crystal meth by accident

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - AUGUST 19: Detective Paul Baker holds two rocks of crystal meth with a street value of NZD$83,000 alongside firearms that were confiscated as part of Operation Slab at the North Shore Policing Centre on August 19, 2010 in Auckland, New Zealand. Police executed 22 search warrants across New Zealand and raided six crime labs resulting in the seizure of 140 grams of crystal meth, weapons and drug manufacturing equipment. Ten suspects were arrested as a part of the raid and will appear in the Auckland District Court. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

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A 55-year-old man from the village of Impington in the United Kingdom has died after chugging crystal meth from a container he believed contained a health drink.

Romano Dias was given the bottle by his daughter Katee after she received it in the mail in a package that was incorrectly addressed. She held the package for six months but when nobody claimed it she opened it and discovered the bottle full of what she thought was a health drink. In fact the bottle contained £34,000 ($55,000) of pure crystal meth.

Police believe that the drug was en route to a dealer when it was incorrectly addressed.

At the inquest, Detective Inspector Ian Simmons described the discovery of such a highly illicit substance in such quantities as something they “rarely encounter.”

Simmons described the situation as “a completely unaccountable and unforeseen chain of events” and said there is no evidence that either Dias or his family were involved in trafficking of narcotics.

Simmons said the bottle was probably mailed as a way of transporting the highly addictive substance into the UK.

The inquest heard that Mr Dias poured himself half a glass before drinking a mouthful and immediately suffering from the effects of the drug. According to his partner Debra Dulson he said it tasted “Awful” and was burning his throat. “I am in trouble here. I am dying, I am dead,” Dias reportedly said.

Pathologist John Grant told the Cambridge News the level of meth was well above a lethal dose. The paper said the drug “had a number of effects, including causing abnormal rhythms in the heart.”

Coroner William Morris described Dias’ death as an accident and said it was “a dreadful case.”

Police are not optimistic about finding the sender, because too much time has elapsed since the package was delivered and no records were kept of who originally sent it.